Freedom
by Skye Highwind
Summary: They were out at last - but now what? Implied Mikhail/Eckhart.


Too many fanfics, not enough uploading.

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Freedom. That first breath of chilly El Nathian air was possibly the best one that they had ever had. They had been captured by the Black Mage, used as bartering tools, to be interrogated … tortured … The months in the depths of Lionheart Castle were rough, and they were all separated. Hawkeye, Irena, Oz, Eckhart and Mikhail in that order - and while the others were left to their own devices, despite being locked in cells and bound down…

Their chief night walker was a different story.

Eckhart was a man born for the darkness. From the beginning, the Black Mage knew better than to leave him like he had left Hawkeye and Mikhail. If left there, he'd be able to devise a way to escape, or worse, contact the outside world. The black haired man was left in a constant state of unconsciousness, unattended to.

Likewise, he was the last one they intended to interrogate.

It was supposed to be Mikhail, Hawkeye, Oz, Irina and Eckhart… He was confident that Mikhail and Hawkeye could manage, but … interrogation was a work that he worried Oz and Irina. It wasn't as if they were _weak_ - far from it. But there were methods that more affected women than men, and the last thing he wanted was to subject the two to it. Oz would break, he was certain.

So when they came back down to bring Oz up, Eckhart did everything in his power to divert their attention. Shouting, cursing, and finally, making an offer.

They could do whatever they wanted to Eckhart, break him however they wanted, and if they succeeded, he'd tell them everything they wanted to know. The catch - they had to leave the others alone.

Of course they would jump on the offer. They were sadistic, and the thought of snapping the strongest mind of the knights was something that excited all of them.

Torture, interrogation, abuse… They weren't strange to him. Even if the Cygnus Knights were better than that, Eckhart's family certainly was not, and even now, he could vaguely hear screams from those that managed to get on his father's bad side. Despite having left that house over fourteen years ago, he had met so many warriors that would take the chance to end his life if they could …

But to be in the same room as some of the strongest people in Maple World … To be subject to their whims and wants was an unpleasant nightmare. And yet, it was what Eckhart subjected himself to for the sake of his allies, his friends.

It had been a month since they had last seen the black haired night walker conscious. Hawkeye would hear him be thrown into the cell, and he would be gone by the time they woke up …

They honestly thought they'd never speak to him again - who knows how long they would have been forced to stay there … But, as if it were a dream, Eckhart came.

He looked ragged, unhealthier than they had last seen (but then again, that was the same for all of them), and a dark cloak around his shoulders. There was no mask to hide his face, and everyone saw the serious expression. It wasn't strange by the least - Eckhart was always the most serious, but … To have such a grave look in his eyes, especially around the other chief knights was … depressing.

He led them out of the depths, effectively avoiding any enemy on the way. Along the way, they heard sounds of a conflict - clashing swords, explosions… When they questioned the man in front of them, he gave them a mumbled, "Reinforcements."

It filled them with joy that their students had come to save them, and they stepped out onto the crisp snow for the first time in what seemed like months. They watched the castle behind them burst into flames, and slowly, the Cygnus Knights streamed out with … Neinhart at the front.

He met them with a relieved look. "You all are alright," he said softly, a smile blossoming on his face. Hawkeye and Oz smiled brightly at him, and Irina and Mikhail could barely hide their own smiles. Neinhart was more than their strategist - he was their friend, family, ally. To see him mostly unharmed was more than a relief.

As Neinhart gave them hugs and walked away, the rest of their students rushed towards them. Mikhail was instantly mobbed by a crowd of Soul Masters, a girl with long blond hair at the lead. Oz and Hawkeye didn't fare much better - the former was snatched up by a red haired man with glasses, and the latter was tackled to the ground by a pair of thunder breakers with blond hair - siblings. Irina was luckier - she was respectfully met by a teenager with brown hair and bright green eyes, and they shared a quick hug and handshake.

But, no one met Eckhart that day. His night walkers, headed by a teenager with dark hair and bright blue eyes, watched him with almost a sad expression. The teenager walked over, and said some words to him, before bowing his head and leaving swiftly.

It didn't go unnoticed by Mikhail, who watched the interaction out of the corner of his eye. He frowned, the subtle facial movement catching the girl's attention.

"Hm? What's wrong, chief?" she asked, turning her blue eyes to where he was glancing. A frown graced her lips as she saw Eckhart. "Oh, chief Eckhart and Aischeron … I wouldn't worry about it. Aischeron can get him back to his senses."

Mikhail was far from comforted. "I don't know, Jeanne. Eckhart … is a complicated man. He is never this bad …"

His response makes her sigh in return. "If he won't tell his own students, I doubt he'll tell you, chief. Don't worry about it."

The blond man didn't say anything in response, but looked back at his students. He could only hope that Jeanne was right, and that Eckhart's students could bring him around…

And how _wrong_ he was.

Since the day they escaped from Lionheart Castle, Eckhart had never been the same. If his social skills were lacking beforehand, they were _abysmal_ now. The man barely talked to anyone excluding his lead student, Aischeron; his confidant Orson; or Neinhart. On the days that Cygnus could get him to talk, he refused to do it in the presence of anyone else. He got jittery in large crowds, barely ate, and Mikhail had a suspicion that he barely slept as well.

These were habits that Eckhart had done before - he was never a sociable man, he never had much of an appetite, and he was much more active in the night than day. But while he used to take naps during the daytime, there was nothing of the sort now.

And Mikhail was getting damn sick of it. Eckhart was his friend, his _best_ friend, and if he couldn't do anything to help the elder man, what the hell kind of friend was he?

He made up his mind. Tonight, after dinner, he'd make Eckhart talk to him.

The day rolled on much slower than he thought it would. He kept watching Eckhart from the corner of his eye, seeing the man quietly direct his students, never getting up from his tree. At first glance, this was perfectly normal, but as he observed the taller man more, his movements were slow and far from graceful, like they had been.

Mikhail almost shoveled down his dinner, saying 'thank you' to the cooks, before racing out of the dining hall. It was impolite, and he was sure that Neinhart had cringed behind him, but between his manners and Eckhart's well-being … one obviously won over.

He stood at the foot of Eckhart's tree, craning his head up to look at the seated man. He squinted and saw the elder man's hands moving quickly, working at something, and he frowned.

"Eckhart," he said clearly, trying to get the man's attention.

His hands stopped briefly, before continuing on, and Mikhail tried not to groan. Avoidance was one of Eckhart's defensive methods, and he took the pause as a signal to just keep talking.

"Eckhart, we need to talk. About your living habits." His voice was firm. "You haven't been eating, or drinking. Or moving. And I can bet that you haven't been sleeping either. This needs to stop."

There was a pause, and the only thing heard was the rustle of the wind in the leaves. For a second, Mikhail thought that he would respond, and that he'd have to raise his voice, but … He was relieved when the other man's voice drifted down, albeit a bit too quiet for his liking.

"There is nothing wrong," came Eckhart's soft response. "Go back to dinner, Mikhail. Apologize for your rude manners."

The blond warrior winced at the words, but he stood his ground and took a deep breath. "There is something wrong. Avoidance is one of your problems - and ignorance is one of your flaws. You're avoiding the issue here. You've barely eaten and slept in the last few days. Even _Hawkeye_ is worried about you." There was a fierceness to his golden eyes, and Eckhart paused briefly.

"It doesn't concern you," he finally muttered, dropping a paper object to land perfectly on Mikhail's head.

The blond man blinked, picking up the object from his head. In the minimal light of the field, he managed to make out the shape of a bird - a crane? He frowned, about to question why it wasn't a swan, but…

"Have you heard of the story of a thousand cranes?" Eckhart asked softly, and Mikhail shut his mouth.

The black haired man must have taken his silence for a no, because he began to speak again after a moment. "Once, there was a young boy. His mother was deathly ill, so he desperately wished to save her." It was silent - not even the chatter of the dining hall could be heard. "An angel approached him one day. "Do you want to save your mother?" she asked. And of course, he nodded and said yes."

Mikhail frowned. He wasn't sure where this story was going, but Eckhart's mind was scattered at best, so he didn't push the man.

"The angel told him that if he managed to fold a thousand cranes, he could ask for a wish. The wish could have been anything - world peace, to save the world, but he was obviously going to wish to save his mother." Eckhart dropped down to stand in front of Mikhail, the moon directly behind him. His face was shadowed, and he seemed more tired than he had ever been.

"His mother died before he could finish them," Eckhart finished in a grave voice. "His efforts were not recognized, but he finished it, and made his wish. "I want to be able to protect my friends," he said."

Mikhail blinked, but his eyes widened as he understood. He watched the black haired man turn around. Eckhart's head turned upwards to face the moon.

"I couldn't save my mother," came the soft, almost fragile voice. "But in that castle, after the wish I had made when I was a child … I didn't want to fail ever again. I wanted to protect my friends." His hands dropped another crane onto the ground. "I didn't fold these. The magic of fairy tales had been lost to me after we were captured. But, I decided I would do everything in my power to save you."

Eckhart dropped to his knees, and the blond haired man let out a noise of alarm. Mikhail rushed to kneel by Eckhart's side, watching the slim man grasp at his chest, almost gasping for breath.

"Eckhart-" Mikhail started, beginning to move his arm around his shoulders, but he stopped when the elder man raised a hand.

"Do not take me near the Empress," he gasped, leaning on Mikhail for support. "The Black Mage implanted his essence in me - he is waiting for the moment I draw near the Empress to overtake me and slay her. Mikhail-" Eckhart's golden eyes were fierce as he locked eyes with the larger man. "-slay me."

The blond man in question was startled. "What-?! You're asking me to kill you?! You're my best friend!" Mikhail almost shouted, hands on Eckhart's shoulders. But, as he looked into the slimmer man's eyes, he saw the darkening irises, and the red seeping into his gaze.

"Mikhail- _please_." It startled him. Eckhart was possibly the most prideful man in the entire Knights, even surpassing Hawkeye. To hear him beg… It was terrifying.

Mikhail bit at his lip, but he eventually brought out his sword. Eckhart forced himself to stand up, leaning against his tree for support. The black haired man looked so vulnerable, and it stabbed at Mikhail's heart to have to do this. With a deep breath, he thrusted forward, and the black haired man collapsed. He watched a dark shadow rise up and flee in the direction of El Nath. It was silent, except for the ragged breaths of the fallen body, and his own thundering heartbeat.

And suddenly, everything crashed back down.

Mikhail pulled his sword out from Eckhart's chest, leaving it on the ground and gathering up the fragile, bleeding man in his arms. He immediately ran towards the dining hall, slamming the doors open. All eyes darted to him, and a few people immediately stood up from their seats.

"Chief-!" the black haired, blue eyed night walker - Aischeron, Jeanne had said - exclaimed. He stood up so abruptly that the chair fell over behind him.

Mikhail ignored him, however, and immediately rushed him to Neinhart and the Chief Knights' table. Oz and Irina immediately moved to cover Cygnus' view, whispering quiet assurances to her. Hawkeye and Neinhart drew close to them.

"M'god, Mikhail. The hell happened?!" Hawkeye shouted, looking over the dark haired man. He tried to stem the blood of the wound, even with his gloves on.

"Eckhart - he, he-" the blond man stammered, taking a shuddering breath. "Please, please save him, he-"

Neinhart adjusted his monocle, glancing at a blaze wizard. "Xiphen, get Arios to Medical Tent 1." He looked back at Eckhart with a frown. "Hawkeye, keep pressure on the wound. Mikhail, we're moving to a medical bay. We're definitely fortunate to have the Adventurers visiting."

The night went by, and Oz almost had to hold a trembling Mikhail, who was barely managing to stop his crying. Irina came by and gave him some tea, even sitting by the blond man and saying some comforting words. But his heart was clenched with fear and dread, and he desperately wished that Eckhart would make it through the night.

…

The light was bright, he noticed. Had he died and gone to heaven? He hoped so. He gave a quiet mumble, blearily opening his eyes and blinking them to get adjusted to the light. The light became bearable for a moment, and he slowly glanced around, feeling a pressure next to his side.

He looked around the room, noticing it to be a medical bay. So he was alive. Trust Mikhail to not actually kill him. Eckhart frowned, and glanced down to see the blond haired man at his side. He slowly sat up, hissing at the pain in his chest, and he raised a slim hand to grasp at the bandaged wound.

The door opened, and Eckhart raised his head to look at the door. In came a man with ash brown hair and eyes, pushing up his glasses. From his wardrobe, he looked like a magician … But, definitely not any blaze wizard they had …

"Oh-? You're awake," he said softly, looking at the black haired man with a smile. "You gave us all a scare last night. Poor Chief Mikhail was worried sick about you, he could barely function." He handed the bedridden man a cup of water, and Eckhart took it graciously.

"You're very unhealthy. You're underweight, sleep-deprived, and being stabbed really hasn't helped your physical state," the man said seriously, drawing up a chair and sitting next to the night walker. Eckhart looked over him.

"Who are you?" he questioned, his voice more hoarse than he had imagined. Frowning, he took another sip of water.

"My name is Alexarios Resis. I'm a bishop from the _Magnus_ guild," he introduced lightly. Magnus - that was Silas' guild … There must have been confusion on his face, because Ario laughed. "We're here on Alliance business. Well, that's what Silas says. I'm sure he just wants to see his brother."

Silas and Aischeron Tales - two skilled thieves, the latter being his own student … He was very well acquainted with them.

"So, you saved me," Eckhart said rather plainly. He looked down at the mass of blond hair on his bed.

"Pretty much. I didn't think you'd survive, honestly. You lost a lot of blood, but I guess an angel was looking after you," came Ario's cheery response.

An angel… "Do you believe in them?" he said, frowning into his glass.

"I suppose I do. We bishops are very spiritual. Angels are not really a surprise to us," he said lightly. "We do miraculous things, they do miraculous things. Are we angels as well?"

Eckhart sighed as he thought about it, shifting to place the now empty glass on the bedside table. The slight movement jostled Mikhail awake, and the blond man blinked at the sitting night walker.

"... Eckhart!" he exclaimed, jolting up. Eckhart tried not to smile - the other man's wardrobe was disheveled at best, something that was unheard of for a man as impeccable as Mikhail.

"Hello," he replied lightly, glancing over at Ario.

Ario simply smiled and left the room silently. Eckhart could hear light talking behind the door, but he shifted his attention to focus on the soul master in front of him.

"Have you been sleeping here all night," he asked the man with a frown. It wasn't really a question - more of a demand.

He didn't even need an answer - Mikhail's sheepish grin said enough about it. "Maybe. You worried me a lot," he said honestly, fixing his uniform. "How are you feeling?"

Eckhart sighed, brushing a hand through his messy hair. "Like I've been an idiot for the past few weeks. Which I have." His response made the blond haired man laugh, and Eckhart had never been so relieved to hear it in his life.

Mikhail opened his mouth to say something, but the door opened, and a soul master popped his head in. "Chief, you have a meeting in ten minutes."

… Eckhart gave a blank stare at Mikhail. "You have nine minutes to get changed and run to the meeting room. Good luck."

Mikhail smiled sheepishly at Eckhart, before he darted away, closing the door behind him. Eckhart sighed, shaking his head lightly at the other man. He pulled the covers over himself, nestling on the bed and closing his eyes. Might as well get more rest before the rest come to bother him …

Over the next few days, Eckhart was watched intently by the rest of the Chief Knights. Mikhail escorted him to meals, Oz chatted with him on the way to morning training, Irina kept him company while they assessed their students, and Hawkeye made sure he actually went to bed. He was doing exceptionally well after how it had been before he and Mikhail had their talk.

Mikhail glanced over at the black haired man, watching him converse with one of his students. The student in question walked away, smiling. He watched the slim man slip off his mask, glancing over to lock eyes with Mikhail. The blond man smiled back when the black haired man gave him a hint of a smile, slipping on his mask again.

It had been months since Eckhart and the others had returned from Lionheart Castle. His heart had been broken - quite literally at one point, but the mending had began, and the Chief Knights would be there with him, every step of the way.


End file.
